Duncan's Gift
by kenziebabe91
Summary: This is my rewrite of Red Satin aka Duncan's Gift. I am going to try and rewrite this and hopefully move on to a sequel soon! This takes place in season 2 after Donut Run. Major AU here!
1. Chapter 1

So, It's been decided! I am rewriting Duncan's Gift (formerly known as Red Satin) However, I am keeping up the original story for the hell of it. I do want to address a few things first before I start the first chapter, I have received a few private messages asking me what the pairing would be. I love the Logan/Veronica pairing, however I'm that strange child who also like the odd WTF pairing which is Lamb/Veronica. So with that being said, there will be a lot of Logan/Veronica in this story, and as for Lamb/Veronica I will be working towards it in this story. I hope you guys enjoy this revamp/reboot and keep on reading! Side note: Veronica's thoughts are italicized.

**Duncan's Gift:**

**Chapter 1**

Veronica sat in her car in anticipation. Looking at her passenger's seat she took a deep breath and grabbed the small pharmacy bag before stuffing it in her messenger bag. A month ago she never would have thought that she'd be in this situation. But this was real, and this was happening. The hidden bag held 2 separate boxes of pregnancy tests. She gave a bitter chuckle thinking of her situation; the father of her possible child was half way across the world right now with his other illegitimate child. She wanted to deny that this was actually happening, and that her and Duncan were always protected whenever they had sex, but she knew the truth. They weren't always careful and this was the one time that was catching up with her.

_It's now or never Veronica. _She took a deep breath before she exited the LeBaron and rushed to her apartment.

She was thankful when she saw that her dad wasn't home. She'd have more privacy and she wouldn't have to dodge any question about her anxious disposition.

She locked the bathroom door and took out the first test and stared at it like it was her worst enemy. It wasn't far from the truth, if she really was pregnant then it would be a serious roadblock in her life.

"Here goes nothing." She said as she unboxed the test.

After peeing on the test strip, she pulled the test out in front of her and stared at the indicator. The control line appeared quickly and not to long after, the positive indicator appeared.

She wasn't surprised, she wished she could say that the results of the test were, but she would be lying. The truth was that the headaches, the sore breast, the missed period and the fatigue were her real test. The pregnancy test was just another reminder that she was indeed pregnant. She didn't even need to take the 2nd test.

"What am I going to do?" She said to herself.

Teen pregnancy was not a part she planned for her senior year. She knew that she had options, but she knew that there was only one that she wanted to choose. Abortion meant that she could get through senior year worry free, she wouldn't have to put off her dreams and goals and could actually get away from Neptune. Another plus would be that no one would ever have to know. But, she knew she couldn't live with herself if she did go through with it. Her second option was adoption, but did she honestly want to give her child the same abandonment issues that her mom had given her? That left her with only one option. Motherhood. She didn't know if she could give her child a good life. She was a high school student, who worked part-time at a cafe. Not to mention she had a penchant for solving crimes and finding herself in not so pleasant or safe situations. Still, it was the only option she found herself pulled towards.

She lay in her bed still gripping the test tightly, with one hand on her abdomen. She tried to imagine herself with a child. Would she be a good mom or had her own mother damaged her views of a good mother? On second thought, was she being too harsh? Yes, Lianne Mars was not by any means 'Mother of the Year', but Veronica clearly remembered the great times they'd had together when she was a kid.

"Veronica, are you home?" She heard her dad call out.

"I'm in my room." She yelled back.

Hearing his footsteps coming closer, she quickly shoved the pregnancy test underneath the cushion by her side.

"What're you up too?" He asked walking in to her room.

"Nothing."

"Honey, are you alright?" He asked taking a hold of her face.

"I'm fine dad, I'm just tired." She replied. It was only a half lie, she was tired.

"Okay. What do you want for dinner? I'm thinking Chinese for tonight."

"I'm not really hungry tonight." She replied.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked once more.

"I'd tell you if I weren't."

"Okay." He planted a kiss on her crown. "Just remember that I'm here Veronica. No matter what happens, I'm on your side okay?"

"Thanks dad. I love you."

"Love you too kid."

As he exited her room, Veronica shut her eyes tightly. She hated lying to her dad, especially after what he'd just said. She knew her dad wouldn't be happy once he found out; _how many fathers were happy finding out their teenaged daughters had fallen pregnant? Not many._

She'd stayed in her room for the rest of the night. She tried falling asleep knowing she had class the next day, but it wouldn't come. She sat on her laptop for a little while before going out to the kitchen. She needed a cup of tea, hoping that it would calm her enough to fall asleep. She boiled some water in a saucepan opting not to use the kettle at 1am.

She sat on the couch clutching the mug of tea and pondering. Albeit being terrified of having a baby, a part of her was excited. This wasn't the most ideal of situations, but maybe this baby was a special gift.

"What're you doing up honey?" Keith asked sleepily.

"Couldn't sleep."

He took a seat next to her and looked at her until she turned her head to look at him.

"Something got you up?"

"You have no idea." She mumbled.

"Well, your old man is here if you need to talk." He offered again.

"Thanks dad." She said giving him a hug. "G'night."

"Good night sweetie."

The Next Day:

7 am rolled around meaning it was time for class. Sleep deprived and distracted, Veronica got ready for the day.

She pulled out her phone and dialled the phone number she found last night to the free clinic.

"Good Morning, Thank you for calling the Health and Family Clinic of Neptune, This Andrea how can I help you?" Veronica heard from her phone.

"Hello, I was wondering if you had any available prenatal appointments today?"

"Let me see...hmm, we have 3 available appointments today with Dr. Bishop. Our earliest time is at 10:30am and our latest is at 5pm." She replied."

"Do you have anything around 1pm today?" Veronica asked.

"Not today. Our next 1am appointment is next week Tuesday."

Veronica sighed. "I'll take the 10:30am." She said.

"Perfect, can I get your first and last name?"

"Veronica Mars."

"And the best number for you to be reached at?"

"Area code 909 565 8145."

"Alright. And how far along are you?"

"5-6 weeks. I'm not really sure."

"That's absolutely fine. We'll see you at 10:30 today Veronica."

Hanging up the phone, Veronica looked at the clock in her car. It was pointless to go to the first part of school seeing as she'd only be in for 2 classes before she'd have to leave. She drove around aimlessly for a few hours before finally making her way to the clinic.

As usual, she had paperwork to fill out and a long wait before she'd even met the nurse.

After having her blood pressure read, blood taken, weight, and heart beat read, she was put into a room to wait some more.

20 minutes later, she'd finally heard a knock on the door.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Bishop. You must be Veronica."

"I am."

"And I see we're here for a prenatal visit. Do you know how far along you are?"

"I'm assuming that I'm 5-6 weeks along."

"Is this your first pregnancy?"

"It is."

He kept on writing notes as he asked his questions.

"And when was the last time you had sex?"

"6 weeks ago."

"Okay Miss Mars, for today's appointment I want to find out how far along you are and get you on the right track in your pregnancy." Dr. Bishop informed her. "What I'll need you to do, is to undress so that I can do a pelvic exam as well as a uterus check."

He left her in the exam room alone with a paper gown.

The pelvic exam was among the worst things that happened during the appointment, but she knew this was something that she'd need to get used to. The uterus check was to check the size of her uterus and determine how far along she was.

As it turned out, she was approximately 7 weeks along. Her due date was August 20th, but it was subject to change once she went to get an ultrasound. Dr. Bishop had sent her off with a script for prenatal vitamins and a list of recommended OBs.

As she left the clinic she checked the time to see that it was 12:45, the ride back to school would make her arrive by 1:15pm giving her a little over an hours worth of class left. Once more she decided to skip the rest of the day. In her adventures of skipping school, she managed to have lunch, stop by the bank, pick up books on pregnancy and babies, fill her script, and also find herself in a baby boutique looking at all of the things she probably would need to buy.

She arrived home to find her dad sitting on the couch waiting for her.

"Hi Dad. You're home early." She greeted.

"So are you." He replied. "Funny thing happened today. Your school called, and apparently you haven't shown up for a single class."

"Dad, I can explain."

"Well please explain it to me Veronica!" He replied shortly. "This isn't like you to skip school. I thought you wanted to keep your grades up for the Kane scholarship?" He continued. "You've been a little off for the past few weeks honey, what's going on?"

"Dad, I'm pregnant." She mumbled.

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that please?"

"I'm pregnant." She repeated.

And chapter one is done! I tried keep some things similar to the original story, but obviously not too much because I want it to be different. I have decided to write this version in 3rd person because it's a lot easier for me to do so. I've also changed up some dates around just so I can have a decent calendar of when things should happen within the story and pregnancy. Chapter 2 should be up sometime this week or next week. Hope you all are doing great!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! Here is chapter 2 for you guys. I'm really trying to bang these out for you so that I can start the sequel and also work on my other stories. I had a lot of fun adding my preggo symptoms in this one, the only difference is that I made Veronica a lucky woman and not have morning sickness, which plagued me for weeks! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Once more, all of Veronica's thoughts are _italicized_.

**Duncan's Gift**

**Chapter 2:**

"I'm pregnant." Veronica repeated.

Keith sat there silently in shock of hearing the news his daughter just told him.

"Please tell me this is a joke Veronica." He sighed.

"Dad, I'm so sorry."

"How did this happen?"

"Duncan and I...after Meg died." She replied starting to tear up.

Keith stood up and took his daughter into his arms and hugged her tightly.

"Do you know how far along you are?"

"I'm 7 weeks along."

"And do you know what you want to do?"

She gave a nod. She'd made her decision awhile before she took a single pregnancy test.

"I want to keep the baby. I know that I'm still young and having a baby at 18 probably isn't the easiest, but, I know I can do this."

"Well, I can't exactly say that I'm thrilled about this, but I'm going to support you no matter what." He replied.

"I'm sorry." Veronica said again.

"Sorry isn't going to undo this situation Veronica, the best you can do now is finish school and get your diploma and work hard to raise that baby."

"I will work hard. I'll pick up extra hours at work and I'll save up to get my own place."

"Own place? Veronica, you can stay here as long as you want. I'd never make you leave because of this. You're all I have left honey." He assured her. "I may be too young and good looking to be a grandpa, but there is no way I'd let you fend for yourself."

He held her tightly in his arms feeling her sobbing. Yes, he was disappointed that his baby was having a baby, but she'd already made her decision. The only thing that he could do was support her and help her out in any way that he could.

"I can't believe I'm going to be a grandpa." He chuckled slightly.

"At least you'll be the best looking grandpa in the park."

"So, you said you're 7 weeks right?"

"Yeah, I should be due on August 20th, but that could change."

"Hey, at least you won't have to worry about going into labor during graduation." He teased.

"Yeah, but that would be a great way to go out with a bang." Veronica quipped.

Next Day:

Veronica woke up knowing that today she actually had to go to school. She dreaded the day she'd start showing; she could already hear the lovely folks of Neptune High School calling her demeaning and cruel names. She could take any names they called her, she had been able to last year and this year too, but if they tried saying anything about her baby then there would definitely trouble.

_See, I already love you kid. _

The one thing she was most happy about was the fact that her dad was supportive despite her being in a less than wanted situation. He probably would've been happier if she were out of high school and college too and married. But, his support meant that she wouldn't be alone in this. She walked out to the kitchen to find that her dad had already made some breakfast, seeing as she hadn't eaten dinner last night. She had no appetite the past few weeks. Correction, she was hungry, but nothing appealed to her.

"We're being fancy this morning aren't we?!" She quipped after seeing Keith behind the counter.

"You need to eat honey. I'd prefer something that doesn't contain high fructose corn syrup." He replied.

"I'm not really hungry Dad."

"You didn't eat last night, so you're going to eat breakfast. At least have some toast and fruit."

"Everything just seems gross to me right now."

"Please just eat something."

She was glad that she hadn't actually felt any sickness with her pregnancy...At least she hadn't yet. She could deal with the overly pickiness when it came to eating, but nausea and throwing up was not something she wanted to have every single day.

When she'd finally eaten something, she left the apartment and made her way to school. On her way a million things blew threw her mind. _How should I tell Wallace, Mac, and Logan? I'll probably need to pick up extra hours or cases. I'm going to have to save a whole lot for this baby. Crap! Stretch marks are going to happen aren't they?! _When she arrived at Neptune High, she felt as if she were hiding a huge secret. _Technically I am… _But, it felt as if she had to go above and beyond to act normal.

During her visit with Dr. Bishop she was told she wasn't high risk, so she could continue with her usual activities. Of course Dr. Bishop didn't know that her usual activities included working as a P.I., but she was always careful when she worked, now she'd just need to be even more careful. Just a few days ago she'd helped Wallace with a case of his own and she was more cautious than usual.

"Hey Veronica. Where were you yesterday?" Wallace greeted.

"I had a doctors appointment." She replied. "Any thing big happen in these hallowed halls?" she asked in a faux accent.

"The '09ers acted like superior snobs and the poor folk looked at them in disdain. Same old, same old."

"Glad to see I haven't missed anything." She replied. "It's good to have you back here Wallace. I've missed having my partner in crime fighting."

He reached up and felt her forehead.

"What are you doing?"

"You're being sentimental, I'm just checking if the fever is causing delusions."

"Shut up. Don't you remember that I'm a marshmallow?"

"I almost forgot about that."

They parted ways and went to their respective classes. Veronica knew that know that she'd told her father about her pregnancy, her friends were next on the list. Of course, she did want to wait until she was past the first trimester. Telling her dad was a given, she did live with him and he was her family.

Despite trying to concentrate on her work, thoughts kept getting in her way and distracting her. By the time lunch rolled around, she was surprisingly hungry and willing to eat the cafeteria food unlike the past few weeks, okay, it was just a chicken salad, but that's more than she'd eaten at the school cafeteria in weeks.

The rest of her day went by quickly. During her 2nd half of her day, she tried her best to concentrate on her school work. After school she went straight to work, she was working a closing shift today which meant she'd be out by 9pm and wouldn't get to her homework until 10:30, they weren't her favorite shifts but this job added money to her savings. She still contemplated whether or not she could ask for more hours, or perhaps become a server instead of a hostess, _The tips would probably help_.

"Well if it isn't Veronica Mars?" She heard a sneer walked out from the back room.

She turned to find Lamb standing at the counter.

"Why deputy, it's crazy seeing you here. Shouldn't you, I don't know, be working or something?" She bit back.

The deputy was still reeling from the wild goose chase she'd sent him on a few weeks back. Now he kept tabs on her as often as he could, even though she was cleared of any suspicions. Despite him thinking he was pulling cloak and dagger shit, she'd seen his sand colored Ford following her a few times. It was getting old and now that Duncan was far from Neptune, he really had no reason to follow her other than being a pain in her ass.

"Funny Mars. Now why don't you do your job and serve me like you're supposed to."

"Hmmm, that's not my job." She replied before walking away. She rolled her eyes at him and shook her head from all thoughts about him. He had a way of showing up in her life like a bad penny.

Lamb remained at the cafe watching her and keeping track of her. This was the reason nothing got done in Neptune._ Isn't law enforcement supposed to fight crime instead of sitting in the corner drinking a cappuccino? _After an hour or two of his watchfulness, he left leaving the server a crappy tip. Her work shift seemed to speed up once Lamb left and pretty soon it was time for her break. She decided to take care of some homework now knowing that she'd be exhausted once she got home. She was tempted to have another cup of coffee, but she'd already had 2 cups today and she knew she needed to keep her caffeine intake down. Coincidentally or perhaps by some strange cruel twist, her health homework was on pregnancy and fetal development. There weren't many teen pregnancies at Neptune high, however the Board of Education still believed in scaring students away from sex. _Sorry Board of Ed. guess the Baby Think it Over didn't help._

Once work was finished Veronica sped home. The fatigue hit her hard and she was ready for bed. She didn't really expect to fall asleep though. The one thing that was fun about pregnancy so far was that she was always overtired, but once she would lay down to sleep she wouldn't be able to. Her stomach would flip and she felt tense. Once she did get sleep, she was plagued with strange dreams that often woke her up in the middle of the night. According to Dr. Bishop, these symptoms were all normal for pregnant women which also meant there was nothing he could do about it.

"Hey, how was work?" Her dad greeted once she entered the apartment.

"Tiring. I shouldn't have agreed to switch shifts with Anna this week. At least it's extra money in my pocket."

"Are you hungry?" He asked. "I have some left overs in the fridge."

"I ate something at work. Plus, if I eat too late in the evening I start to feel sick." She replied. "I'm off to bed now."

"Alright honey. Goodnight."

"Good night dad."

And that's chapter two for you! I felt like this one was a bit boring, but I promise the next chapter will be better. I didn't realize that rewriting would take so much work and planning, I've had to take a lot out of this chapter and rework it so that it fits in better with this version of the story. Chapter 3 should be up this coming week, Sunday at the latest. If you have any suggestion please feel free to review or send me a private message. I can't wait to continue this story and I hope you all are enjoying this revamp.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys! So here's chapter 3. I'm trying really hard to put a lot of scenes from season 2 in this story while still trying to keep everything fresh and new. This chapter takes place about two weeks after the last chapter. Once more, Veronica's thoughts are italicized. Hope you enjoy.

**Duncan's Gift**

**Chapter 3:**

There were many reasons why Veronica was upset this week; one reason being that finding an OB she liked was harder than she thought. She'd already seen 2 from the list Dr. Bishop had given her, and both made her want to punch them in the face. The second reason behind her less than cheerful disposition the fact that she'd been diagnosed with Chlamydia. Thankfully the blood test she'd been given at the clinic caught it soon enough and she was now on antibiotics. Her big task however was finding out how the hell she'd contracted it. The one thing to distract her from that was that today she was going for her first sonogram. It was still hard for her to believe that she was pregnant; despite her many symptoms, she still looked the same and mostly felt the same.

She sat in the hospital lobby and waited. She was in a room full of pregnant women, all with their partners, while she sat alone working on homework. When she walked in she saw some of the looks she had received and though it didn't make her too happy, she had grown used to it from the past year.

"Veronica Mars?" She heard her name being called.

She looked up and walked up to the redhead holding a clipboard.

"Hi Veronica, I'm Alex. I'll be doing your ultrasound for today."

"Nice to meet you."

They walked to the room where Alex then had Veronica lay back on the table and lift her shirt.

"So, we've warmed up the gel so you won't have to feel cold." Alex informed. "So is this your first?"

"It is."

"That must be so exciting for you."

"Exciting and scary." She replied.

After squeezing the gel onto her stomach, Alex placed the transducer and moved it around. She pressed and prodded making Veronica want to run to the bathroom. Before her ultrasound, she was told to drink 32oz of water and now that she had a woman pressing down on her lower belly, she was bursting.

"This sometimes takes a little while, especially because you're so tiny."

Veronica nodded and kept looking at the ceiling.

"Oh, there we are!" Alex cheered.

Veronica instantly turned her head to look at the screen. _So there is a baby in there! _It looked somewhat blobish, but she could easily point out the teeny head.

"So it looks like you're measuring at 9 weeks and 4 days along. Your due date should fall on August 17th. Would you like to hear the heartbeat?"

Veronica nodded unable to speak, this was real now. She saw it on the screen, she was carrying a human life, Duncan's baby, Lilly's niece or nephew. She then heard the sound of her baby's heartbeating causing her to gasp.

"So, baby's heartbeat is at 182 beats per minute, which is perfectly healthy for this stage in pregnancy." Alex informed her. "Okay Veronica, I'm going to print you off some pictures and then I'll get you cleaned up."

"sounds good." Veronica replied still in awe over everything.

She remembered watching movies or shows where women cry after hearing the heartbeat or seeing their baby, but Veronica felt no tears or need to cry. Yes, she was happy that her baby was healthy, and it was amazing to see and hear her child, but something still stopped her from crying. She figured she was in shock. This reality of her pregnancy was staring at her in the face and she couldn't help but think of scary thoughts and things that could go wrong. It also didn't help that she had no one to 'celebrate' this with her. Duncan was gone, her friends had no idea, and it would be awkward if her dad were there.

After her Ultrasound, Veronica drove to Mars Investigations. She knew her dad would be there and she knew she needed to get some work done as well. On the drive over, she couldn't get the sound of the heartbeat from her head. It really hit her then that there was no turning back from this. She knew that legally she still had options, but after seeing her baby and hearing the heartbeat, she couldn't let this go.

"Hey Dad, I'm here." She said as she walked into the office.

"Hey honey, how was your appointment?" He asked.

"It went well. It's really happening now…"

She reached into her bag and pulled out the pictures.

"Wow." Keith sighed. "Yeah, this is definitely really happening."

Even though he was being supportive, Veronica still felt terrible. She knew she was disappointing him by being in this situation. Seeing his face while he looked at the sonogram proved it to her a little more.

"I'm sorry Dad."

"Veronica, you don't need to be sorry. Remember what I said; yes, this isn't the best of situations, but I still love you and I'll still support you. Most importantly, I'm kind of excited too."

"You're excited?"

"I am. Admittedly, I'd have been more excited if you were 30 and married, but having a kid is an amazing thing. I wouldn't trade you for the world, and I'm 100% sure that this grandkid of mine will be exactly the same."

"Thanks Dad. I really needed to hear that." She replied giving him a hug. She suddenly felt herself becoming over emotional. She had tried to keep any pregnancy conversation from happening because she had felt so ashamed for being in this situation, but hearing her dads words helped her release some of those negative feelings. In fact, she was feeling some excitement creeping up as well. She knew she could be a great mother. She didn't grow up with the perfect mother, however she had the damn-near perfect father and she was going to follow in his footsteps.

"So what do you need me to work on today?" She asked after the hug was over.

"Answering phones."

"Really Dad, what do you need?"

"I'm serious Veronica. I want you off of cases, it's dangerous enough being that you're still in high school, but now that you're pregnant I don't want to put both of you in danger."

"I'm always careful, but now I'll be even more careful." She bargained.

"I know that you're always careful, but things can happen unexpectedly. Like with Aaron Echolls, you were being safe, but he ended up being in the back of your car."

_He was right. I wasn't just putting myself in danger, I now had to think about my baby._

"Okay. Let's make a deal. I help you with all of the paper trails and desk work investigating and you do all of the actual leg work."

"I should've known that I wouldn't be able to deter you from this entirely." He sighed. "But it's a deal."

* * *

2 weeks later.

Veronica had mostly stuck to the deal she'd made with her dad. The bigger cases that came in she had stayed on desk duty like she promised, however when it came to students at Neptune High needing her help, she dove in full force.

She was now 11 weeks and 5 days along and she had finally found an OB she didn't want strangle. So far in her pregnancy all was well, her fatigue was diminishing as were her headaches and she was having less food aversions. When she looked in the mirror, she could tell that she was pregnant. She had a small bump concentrated to her lower belly that she had grown used to placing her hand on the rounded hard surface. To anyone else, she still looked the same, but to her it was noticeable. She remembered freaking out over it when she'd first discovered it, and had waited for her dad to bring up her sudden plumpness. However it never came. She had figured that he was trying to avoid the conversation to spare her feelings but when she called him out on it, she realized he'd had no clue. Regardless, she still noticed it which meant she was very aware of her body now.

Another exciting thing that had happened in the past few weeks, was that she had bought her first baby items. She hadn't meant to, but while she was at Target, she had accidentally stumbled across the baby section. She was overwhelmed when she had first seen all of the items she would need, but after the shock had warn off, she made an internal list of the things she would need to save up for and buy. Her first items bought were a set of white newborn bodysuits and a set of grey hat and mitts.

She smiled to herself whenever she thought of the tiny clothing that occupied the first drawer in her dresser in her room.

"You okay Veronica?" Wallace asked.

"What?" She replied coming out of her daze.

"You were light years away. What's been up with you lately?"

"Nothing, really."

"See, with that quick answer I know something is up."

"Fine. I'll tell you after school today."

She knew she wanted to wait until she was in her second trimester to tell her friends, but Wallace was her best friend and closest confidant, keeping him out of the loop was probably not the best of ideas.

_How does one tell her best friend that she's pregnant? _

The rest of her school day was spent contemplating how she would tell her best friend that he was going to be Uncle Wallace in a few months.

Once school was dismissed, she found Wallace waiting by her car.

"So what's been going on?" He asked.

"Let's go for a drive." She replied all too aware of the many students in the parking lot.

"Where to?"

"My place."

"I'll follow you in my car then."

"Enough delays, tell me what's wrong?" Wallace asked once they entered the Mars apartment.

Veronica went to her room and pulled out the only way she could tell him, without sounding like some dramatic TV show.

"Woah Veronica, is that what I think it is?" He asked after seeing the black and white scan sitting on her desk.

She turned around to see him holding up the framed scan.

She nodded. "It is. I'm a human incubator."

"That's a surprise." He replied. "Does anyone else know?"

"Just Dad and you."

"I'm assuming it's Duncan's."

"You're assuming right. So Wallace, are you ready to become Uncle Wally in a few months?"

"As long as your kid doesn't call me Uncle Wally."

"Uncle Wall-Wall?"

"I'm cool with Uncle Wallace."

"You're no fun!"

"So I'm really going to be Uncle Wallace?"

"Hell yeah you are! This kid is going to need a cool Uncle."

"Yeah, I am the most qualified for cool uncle." He laughed. "So this is why you've been off these past few weeks." He stated.

"Yeah, I'm now just getting used to the fact that I'm growing a child."

"When are you due?"

"I'm due August 17th for now. My due date can change apparently."

"At least you won't be going into labor during prom or graduation."

"That's exactly what dad said to me."

After she dropped the big news, Wallace asked a few questions but overall remained supportive as he always was. Now that Wallace knew, that meant that she had told everyone important. She could now keep everything to herself until it began to show. She prayed that she wouldn't show for a few more weeks, or that she was one of those freak-show pregnant women who didn't pop until their third trimester. She also prayed for an absence of stretch marks and an easy labor and delivery. She instantly thought back to the terrible labor and delivery video she had to watch in health class last week. While the other student in her class fooled around and laughed at the video, her eyes had remained glued to the video in fear.

"Nice to see you Wallace." Keith said as he entered the apartment. "What brings you to the Mars residence?"

Wallace looked over at Veronica cautiously. He didn't know how to respond in this situation.

"I just told Wallace that he's going to be an uncle." Veronica answered for him.

"Did she tell you that she's going to name the baby after me if he's a boy?"

"I never said that. You brought it up and you assumed that I agreed."

"Well if you need any name suggestion, Wallace is a great name too."

"Hey easy there, I'm the granddad, I get first dibs on the name."

Veronica rolled her eyes and laughed. "If anyone gets dibs on the name, it should be the human incubator."

"As fun as this is, I'm going to head home. I'll see you tomorrow Veronica, bye Mr. Mars." Wallace said.

"Bye Uncle Wall-Wall."

"Bye Wallace."

"So human incubator, what do you want for dinner tonight?" Keith asked after Wallace had left.

Veronica shrugged. Every now and then she still had some pickiness when it came to foods, and today it was one of those days.

"Are you going to be difficult again?" Keith teased.

"Yeah. You choose what to eat tonight. Hopefully I'll like it." She walked to her room and sat at her desk.

The mystery of how she contracted Chlamydia still wasn't solved. The constant thought that ran through her head was if this baby wasn't Duncan's last gift, but instead contracting the clap was. She was nearly done with the antibiotics given to her. Normally if she weren't pregnant, she would've been finished with them a week ago, but since she was pregnant she had to have a lower dosage for a longer period of time as to not affect the baby.

She leaned back in her chair and stared at the sonogram picture. She remembered she had always laughed when she saw women in movies frame their sonogram pictures, but here she was staring at a framed black and white scan. Her mind had definitely changed about this pregnancy. When she first found out, she was scared, ashamed, and upset that she had fallen pregnant so young. But with the support of her dad and Wallace along with the ultrasound appointment, she was now beginning to feel excited to be a mother. Albeit she was still scared, but she figured it was natural for every first time mother to be scared no matter what their age was.

That is it for chapter 3. I hope you enjoyed it! Chapter 4 will be up by the next Sunday and I may or may not be adding some Lamb and Logan to it. And for those wondering, I was just like Veronica when it came to sonogram pictures. I used to always laugh when I saw women framing their scans and now here I am with frames and photo albums dedicated to my sonogram scans. I'll see you all next week!


	4. Chapter 4

Hello everyone! I'm liking the response I've been getting from this rewrite. It's really fun thinking up of new ideas while merging the old story with this one. I feel like this is a lot more realistic than the original so it's definitely easier to read without cringing. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Duncan's Gift:

Chapter 4

It was official, Veronica was showing which meant sooner or later the news of her pregnancy would be getting out. She was now 15 weeks and 4 days along and she had a noticeable bump on her belly, one that could no longer be mistaken as bloating or too many donuts. On the bright side, if she wore a hoodie it wasn't as noticeable. She hoped that she could still get a few more weeks of hoodie weather before the SoCal springs forced her into t-shirts. Another bright point was that stretch marks still hadn't made any appearances and she still fit in her pre-pregnancy clothes.

She kept adjusting her work vest hoping that pulling at it would magically cover up her baby bump. Unfortunately for her, the vest made her pop even more.

"How much of a chicken would I be if I called in sick?" She asked her dad as she walked out to the kitchen.

"Depends. Why do you want to call in sick?" He asked.

She pointed to her her belly

"Oh honey..." He began.

"Don't even think of telling me it's not noticeable."

"It's just something you're going to have to get used to Veronica."

"I know, but I wish it weren't so noticeable. I'm not ready for everyone to know."she sighed.

"I know honey. By the way, you'd be pretty chicken if you called in sick."

"Thanks Dad." She groaned.

Despite her thoughts of calling in sick, she knew she needed the money so that meant skipping work was not happening. Now she prayed that no one from school would show up. Besides, it was a Saturday night, how many high school students would have a cafe be the highlight of their weekend? When she arrived, she saw Jackie sitting at a table sipping on a latte, she also saw various other Neptune students sitting in their respective seats.

"Well look at you." She heard Jackie say as soon as she saw her.

"Hey Jackie." She replied hoping that the bump wasn't noticed.

"How far along are you?" She asked quietly.

"15 weeks."

"Are you...keeping..."

"Yeah."

"Congratulations."

Veronica nodded. The silence filled the space between them.

"I'm not going to tell anyone by the way. It's not my place; I mean awhile ago I may have done it, but this is your business."

"Thanks Jackie. I don't know how much longer I can hide this though..."

"Yeah, once you're in the 2nd trimester it damn near impossible to camouflage, also say good bye to normal clothes."

"I'm actually still wearing my pre-pregnancy clothes."

"Lucky you. Most pregnant women would kill to still be able to button their pre-pregnancy jeans." Jackie laughed. "Are you excited?"

"Yeah. I'm scared too, but the good outweighs the bad in this situation."

They chatted some more before Veronica had to get back to work. Luckily for her, no one in her section was a student which meant the only refills she poured were to a young dopey couple and an old man reading a book.

"Veronica, can I speak to you for a moment?" Her manager Jill asked.

Veronica shrugged and followed her to the back room.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No. I just wanted to know if anything was up?"

"Up?"

Jill smiled slightly and gazed down.

"Oh, you mean this." Veronica replied protectively placing her hand on her belly.

"You're pregnant." She sighed. "How far along?"

"15 weeks."

"I wish you would've told me earlier. We'll probably need to set up some sort of maternity leave as well as get you a bigger vest."

"So it is _that_ noticeable." Veronica sighed.

Jill shrugged in response. "It's not that bad. It's really the material of these vests. Honestly, satin is only flattering if you're an Olsen twin."

"Yeah, I think there's a rule about pregnant women and satin. I'm sure What Not to Wear did a segment on it last year." She quipped.

"Here." She said handing her a larger vest. "And if you ever need anything or time off, I'll help you out."

"Thanks Jill."

"So are you planning a baby shower?"

"I don't think I'm going to have one."

"Oh, why not?!" Jill whined. "You literally get everything for the baby with them; when I was pregnant with Kayden, my baby shower saved me!"

"I'm not friends with that many people…"

"We could have it here!" Jill interrupted. "We can invite the guys and girls from work, your friends and family. It'll be great I promise!"

"Jill, do you want to plan my baby shower?"

"Can I please?!"

Veronica laughed and nodded.

Jill shrieked in excitement and gave Veronica a hug.

"You won't be disappointed. Maybe next weekend, we can go do the baby registry?!"

"That sounds good."

With the promise of a baby shower, she returned to work. She was glad she actually got along well with the people she worked with, it helped that none of her co-workers were in their early to mid 20's which meant their cattiness had long been gone. She was also glad that her new vest didn't fit snugly against her bump so her pregnancy was a little less noticeable.

* * *

Sunday:

Today was the day that she would be making room for the baby. She'd bought a crib last week and had nowhere to put it in her room. Her dad decided that Sunday since she wasn't working and there were no active cases (other than the bus crash) would be their day to move her room around.

"You ready to get to work pops?"

"Yes, but remember to follow my rules. No heavy lifting!"

"Alone. No heavy lifting alone. I'm not letting you move a dresser or desk alone and then have you throw your back out again."

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, let's get to work."

They started by moving her dresser into her closet giving her more floor space. While Veronica downsized and organized her closet, Keith began building the crib for her. Everything in her room had been moved around to make more room. By lunch time, her room was nearly done. All that was needed was to put in the crib mattress and vacuum.

"We did a great job didn't we?" Veronica said as she stared at her room.

"We sure did. I can't believe I built my first grandbaby's crib."

"Are you getting sentimental on me?"

"I can't help it. Seeing this crib makes it all the more real."

"Okay grandpa, let's go have lunch before you start crying."

After they had finished eating, Veronica realized that she was running low on her prenatal vitamins. She'd have to go now or else she would put it off until she was well and truly out. She grabbed her prescription bottle along with her wallet and keys and drove to the grocery store.

While she waited for her prescription to be filled, she decided to wander to the baby section. It was a new found trait in impending motherhood, if there was a baby aisle she sniffed it out and would eventually buy a few things. In her past ventures, she'd bought clothing, diapers, pacifiers, bibs, shoes, and blankets. She didn't know what else she could buy today, but she knew she'd find something that would catch her eye.

"Veronica?"

She turned around to see Logan staring at her.

"Logan."

"What're you doing here Veronica? You're not…" He began to say before he saw the items in her basket. "You're pregnant?"

"Yeah, I am."

"How? How long?"

"Look Logan, let's go talk somewhere else."

"Fine."

He followed her around while she picked up her filled prescription and cashed out. They drove their own cars to his suite at the Neptune Grande. She was relieved when he agreed to take separate cars, she didn't think she could handle the awkward silence or tension that was sure to fill the small space between them.

"Is it Duncan's?" He asked as soon as they walked into his suite.

She nodded. "I found out a few weeks after he ran off."

"Poor bastard. He's managed to knock-up two girls in one year." Logan laughed.

"Yeah. I can't imagine Celeste being too proud of him at this point."

"Who else knows?"

"Dad, Wallace, Mac, my manager, and Jackie." She replied.

"So what does this mean?"

"It means that I'm going to be a mom in 5 months."

"I really don't know what to say…"

She kept silent while she watched his mind race.

"I'll help you if you want. Duncan's my best friend, he'd kill me if I didn't at least try to help."

"Thanks Logan."

"Can you imagine what Lilly would say if she were still here?" He laughed.

"I don't even want to think about it." She replied with a smile. "She'd never let Duncan forget it, that's for sure."

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"I don't find out until I'm 19 weeks. Why, are you like Dad, and Wallace and want my baby to be named after you?"

"No, but now that you mention it, Logan is a pretty spectacular name."

"Well then if I have a boy, his name will be Keith Wallace Logan Mars." As she said that, she felt some flutters in her belly making her smile and place her hands on her belly.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

"No, I've actually started feeling some movement, and it always catches me by surprise."

"I'm glad that you're happy about this Veronica." Logan finally said. "If you weren't, I would've found Duncan and kicked his ass for making you upset."

"Thanks. I should probably get going now." She said getting up from her seat.

"Okay. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, bye."

* * *

The next day she was relieved when no one noticed her bump. She silently thanked the unseasonably cool California weather for letting her wear a hoodie with no one questioning why. Still, it was a lot tougher trying to keep her pregnancy hidden from everyone else. She had grown very used to placing her hands on her small bump, especially when she felt movement. Regardless, she was constantly reminding herself of where she was. The most difficult part for her was P.E. Normally, having to undress in front of your classmates was bad enough, but having to conceal a pregnancy made it tougher.

"Why does Logan keep looking at you?" Mac asked while she stood beside her.

"Because he knows." She replied as she placed her books in her locker.

"How did he find out?"

"I ran into him yesterday while shopping."

"Did he take it alright?"

"Better than I expected." Veronica replied. "Now I'm just waiting for everyone else to somehow find out."

"I can hardly tell, so you're safe. Plus, a majority of this school is oblivious to all things not involving money."

"You have a good point, but there are two things that have become noticeably bigger." Veronica implied.

Mac let out a small laugh.

"I'm serious, a sophomore asked if I got a boob job."

"I have no idea what to tell you Veronica. What did you end up saying to her by the way?"

"I told her it's weight gain."

"I'm sorry, but that's kind of hilarious."

"Oh you're laughing now, but when it's you in this situation you won't be."

"Oh, I won't be in that situation, trust me. You've put me off of the kid thing."

That's about it for this week. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Once again, the next chapter should be up by Sunday at the latest. I'm actually liking this writing schedule I've put myself on because it's actually working quite well. I've been dedicating at least an hour before bed to writing, and because I don't work Saturdays or Sundays, I have time to edit and rewrite any parts that I don't like. Also, I really appreciate the reviews and messages I've been receiving. They mean so much and really motivate me to continue. I hope you all had a wonderful Easter (if you celebrate) Passover (if you celebrate) or a great week in general.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey everyone! Here is chapter 5 for you guys. I hope you all enjoy it.

**Duncan's Gift:**

**Chapter 5**

Veronica walked through the halls of Neptune high feeling the stares go straight to her belly. You'd think despite everyone knowing for over a week, the drama and shock would have worn off. Apparently not; everyday that she walked in, she would receive stares and dirty looks.

_Flashback: 17 weeks and 4 days pregnant_

_Veronica woke up that morning with a feeling deep in her gut. She looked out the window and saw the sun shining. Today she could no longer cover up the secret hiding under her shirt. _

_When she arrived at school, no one noticed her very visible bump. Not until she entered her first class. She immediately heard sharp whispers of her name and she heard several 'slut coughs' uttered._

_By lunch time, the entire Neptune high population knew of her pregnancy. Everyone from students to janitors knew that she was set to become a teen mom. She'd been called into the principal's office before lunch, where she'd been given the option of doing home studies instead of attending. She was told it was for her comfort and safety, but she was certain that was the administrations way of keeping sex out of the minds of students. _

"_So I guess everyone knows." Wallace said cautiously as he sat at their table._

"_When did you find out?" _

"_3rd period. How are you doing?"_

"_Fine. I've had a few lovely offers from guys asking if I needed another baby daddy...but other than that…"_

"_I'm sorry Veronica."_

"_You don't need to apologize, it's not like you put them up to this."_

"_I know, but I wish there was something I could do about it."_

"_That's why you're my best friend Wallace."_

"_Is that you or the hormones talking?"_

"_Mmmm a little bit of both."_

_End Flashback_

She shook her head and tried to shake off any bad feelings. Today was supposed to be a happy occasion for her and she wasn't going to let the students of Neptune high rid her of her excitement.

Today was Veronica's gender scan. At 19 weeks and 2 days pregnant she would finally find out whether she was having a boy or a girl. She honestly didn't know what she was having; some days she felt like she was carrying a boy and others she felt like she was having a girl. Of course, her friends and dad took no time in placing bets on the gender of her child. She was certain they were all eagerly waiting on their phones to get a text message from her as soon as she found out.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" Mac asked.

"I'm sure."

"Come on, you need someone there."

"No I don't. Think of this as a punishment for making bets on my pregnancy." She laughed.

"You're evil Veronica."

:"I try my best. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere important to be." She closed her locker and headed towards the doors of the school.

"Just remember, Mac is a great name for a boy or girl!" Mac called out after her.

* * *

Sitting in the waiting room drove her nuts. Every appointment she'd had so far started with an excruciatingly long wait in the same bland waiting room. She continued working on homework while she saw women go in and out of their own appointments.

"Is this your first?" A woman seated next to her asked.

"Yeah. Yours?"

"My second. How far along are you?"

"19 weeks and 2 days."

"That's so exciting. I'm 14 weeks along. My son Joshua is so excited to be a big brother, he just turned 10 2 weeks ago." The woman continued talking. "Silly me, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Allison."

"Veronica." Veronica replied.

"I think I was about your age when I had Joshua, maybe a little younger. How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm 18."

"I was younger then. I fell pregnant at 16 and gave birth 2 weeks before my 17th birthday."

"How did you handle it?"

"My parents weren't happy, I lived with my boyfriend for a few weeks until they accepted it. After I had Joshua, I finished high school and then went on to become a nurse. It definitely wasn't the easiest, but it was well worth it."

"That's amazing."

"I'd rather call it hard work rather than amazing." She reached into her bag and pulled out a notebook and pen. "Here, if you ever need any advice give a call or text me. From one teen mom to another, I'm here to help you."

"Thanks Allison."

"Veronica Mars?" The ultrasound technician called out.

Veronica gathered her stuff and stood to finally get her ultrasound.

"It was nice meeting you Veronica."

"It was nice meeting you too."

Veronica reclined on the table with her shirt rolled over her bump. She watched as the ultrasound tech adjusted the transducer and started measuring her baby. The baby was very active and moving around a lot making it difficult for the tech to get proper measurements.

After a couple of minutes, the baby finally slowed down and relaxed a little bit.

"The fetus is measuring to 19 weeks and 2 days, so we're right on schedule." The tech said. "The brain and heart look great. So does the spine."

"Can you tell what the sex is?"

"That's going to take some effort, but I can find that out for you." She moved the transducer around and adjusted it so that the picture showed the legs and but of her baby. She pressed several buttons taking several snaps of the ultrasound. "Alright Veronica, look closely at the screen. Do you see those two lines right there?"

"Kind of…"

"Congratulations Veronica, you're having a girl." The tech announced excitedly. "I'll go print of some pictures once I clean you up."

Veronica beamed and smiled at the news. She was having a little girl.

* * *

Once she was out of the appointment, she sped to Target to pick up some girly items for her daughter. She would be lying if she'd said that she wasn't pulled to the infant girls clothing every time she shopped; now that she was able to buy a few items, she was more than excited. She walked around the children's department picking and choosing what items she wanted. So far, she had chosen a pack of headbands, turquoise colored dresses, and a few tights. Veronica was trying to stay away from the clichéd pink outfits, instead she chose purple, mint, turquoise, red, and greens.

After picking out a few girly items, she was set to go home. She couldn't wait to reveal the gender to everyone. As she drove home, she saw lights and heard sirens.

_Really? I wasn't even speeding!_

She pulled over and rolled down her window. She looked in her mirror and saw Lamb walking towards her car.

"What seems to be the problem deputy?"

"You were speeding Mars."

"As I recall it, the speed limit is 40 and I was driving at a steady 35." She bit back.

"Step out of the car Mars."

"And what would be the reason?"

"Step out of the car before I arrest you for disorderly conduct."

She rolled her eyes and opened her car door. As soon as she stepped out of the car, she saw his face instantly fall to her belly.

"Veronica Mars, pregnant and in high school..." He sneered. "I can't say I'm completely shocked. Who's the father of that child?"

"That would be none of your business." She snapped.

"Let me take a guess. Is it that delinquent Navarro's? No, you may be trash, but you have some standards. Yeah, I'm leaning towards the Echolls kid..."

She rolled her eyes and waited for him to stop.

"Hold on, it's the Kane kid isn't it? Wait, isn't he off with his other child?"

"So have I been pulled over for a reason or did you just want to gossip?"

"Tell me Mars, does dear old dad know that his daughter is easy enough to get knocked up?" He continued. "Well, I always knew you'd end up a screw up like your drunk of a mother."

"Shut up!" She snapped. "My pregnancy and my life are none of your business! You're not the father of my daughter, you're my doctor, and you're sure as hell not my friend! You can take your stupid fucking comments and shove them down your throat!"

She was breathing heavily after her tirade and tried to calm herself down. She placed her hands on her stomach feeling her daughter kick furiously, riled up from the anger.

"Now if there's nothing wrong, I'd like to go home!"

She went to open her car door when his hands stopped her.

"Hold on Mars, I'm not going to let you drive with this blind rage. For all I know you could end up hurting yourself."

"Are you serious?!"

He was serious. In the past, Veronica Mars had annoyed him to no end, but that didn't mean he wanted her or her unborn child in harms way.

"Sit down, relax, and breathe." He said opening the back door of her car. "You were holding your stomach, is everything okay with the baby?"

"Yeah. She's just moving. She must be riled up."

"Do you want some water or something?"

"I'm fine." She replied shortly.

He sat with her for 10 minutes until he felt she haf calmed down enough.

"You think you're ready to drive home?" He asked.

"Yeah."

He gave a small nod as she got up.

"Listen Mars, I'm sorry for upsetting you. It was wrong of me and I apologize."

"Thanks Deputy."

_Did I hear sincerity in his voice? Nah, it's the hormones talking."_

She finally got in the drivers side of her car and finally was on her way home. On her way, she did notice the police cruiser following two cars behind. She shook her head of the questions she had. Was Lamb really being sincere? Wasn't this the man who had made her life hell for the past few years? Why did she suddenly experience feelings other than anger and hate towards him?

Before she knew it, she was finally home. Before exiting her car, she placed the clothing and items she'd bought into her bag. She still wanted to surprise her dad and her friends, despite keeping them waiting for so she opened the door to the apartment, she saw her dad, Wallace, Alicia, Logan, and Mac.

"What took so long?!" Wallace exclaimed as soon as she walked in.

"Thank you Wallace, I am fine. I did not get into a crazy accident, thanks for asking." She quipped.

"We're glad to see you're alright honey, but really, what took so long?"

"You guys didn't think I'd just text you the gender of my baby? It's my baby so I might as well have fun revealing the gender."

She heard a collective sigh from the group and couldn't help but give a snort of laughter.

"So first, I want to know what your guesses are." She demanded. "We'll start with you Grandpa."

"I'd be happy having a granddaughter or grandson, but my fatherly instincts tell my I'll be getting a granddaughter." Keith said.

"I'm going to agree with Mr. Mars, I'm sure you're having a girl." Wallace added.

"My guess is still that it's a boy." Mac continued.

"Yeah, I'm going to say boy too." Logan agreed.

"I'm guessing you're having a girl." Alicia said.

After they all gave their guesses, Veronica pulled her bag out in front of her and unzipped it.

"Alright, now I'm going to need all of you to clothes your eyes." She instructed.

She heard another collective sigh as they all closed their eyes. She pulled out the packet of headbands and opened them placing one on each of their laps.

"Okay, you can open them." She instructed again.

They opened their eyes looking confused.

"Oh honey, I'm so happy for you." Keith said tearfully giving his daughter a hug. He held on tight to the flowered head band.

The rest of the group finally found the headbands and all gave their congratulations.

"A girl, that's so exciting!" Alicia exclaimed. "I never had the chance to experience that."

"What, are you saying you never dressed Wallace up in girls clothes before?" Veronica quipped.

"When you put it that way…"

"Mom!" Wallace exclaimed.

"It was when you were two months old baby. I'm sure every mother has done that to her son once."

The group stayed to chat for a little while longer before they were all off to their own homes. Veronica was still over the moon over finding out the gender. She was nearly halfway through her pregnancy and in about 20 weeks, she'd be meeting her daughter. She felt some more kicks coming from her daughter and instantly smiled at the movement. When it first happened it had caught her off guard and had freaked her out, but now she'd become used to it and now that she felt it everyday it always brought a smile to her face.

"So I'm getting a granddaughter huh." Keith sighed sitting next to her on the couch.

"Yes you are."

"Gosh, how much do you want to bet she'll be exactly like you as a kid."

"I don't know, but then again remember much from infancy."

"Always with the smart mouth. I'm pretty sure the first words out of your mouth were along the lines of sarcasm."

"I wouldn't be surprised."

That night, Veronica tried to sleep thoughts of Lamb kept entering her head. He had made her so angry, but as soon as he did that, he turned around to take care of her. She remembered when he was nice, before he sold his soul to the '09er's. He had taken care of her plenty of times, and had actually been kind to her and her family. Seeing him like that again, brought mixed emotions for Veronica. Was she supposed to forgive him after all the pain and anger he'd put her through? _No, forgiving Lamb is not an option. One second of kindness can't erase the 2 years of awful encounters. _She finally fell asleep a few minutes later, after moving her thoughts towards the cases she still had on her plate. Somehow, thinking about a bus crashing with her classmates on board made her sleep…

And chapter 5 is officially done! Some of you got your wish of seeing some Lamb and Veronica interactions. I know I made him a complete jerk, but let's be honest, Lamb is a jerk and it's only fair to the story to have him start out as a jerk and hopefully have him grow up a bit. My next chapter will probably involve something case-wise or something from an episode. I'm trying not to rely too much on the episodes for my writing, however season 2 obviously is a pretty big part of this story. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Chapter 6 should be up by next Sunday!


	6. Chapter 6

Hey everyone! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I definitely feel that it's one of my better ones. I have however, received some complaints and praises about the whole Lamb situation. Like I explained in the first chapter, I primarily ship Logan/Veronica however my AU/weird pairing is Lamb/Veronica. I appreciate the comments and concerns over the character and the choices, however I plan on writing this story how I want. I plan on changing and growing Lamb's character, because I feel we didn't get that chance on the show. Anyways, Here's chapter 6 for you all. I promised you a more episode-y and casefic chapter. Hope you enjoy!

**Duncan's Gift**

**Chapter 6:**

Veronica stood on the Hearst campus annoyed, but mostly sweltering. The california sun shone brightly and beat down on her raising her body temp. She looked around and saw the prospective students, she stuck out like a sore thumb with her 22 week pregnant belly, but it was something she'd gotten used too.

Her dad had some objections on her going to the campus visit, but thankfully Wallace promised that he'd look out for her bringing some peace of mind to Keith Mars.

"Can you picture us on the Hearst campus Veronica?" Wallace asked.

"Of course I can. You with your many baller buds and myself with a boatload of enemies...the way it should be."

"Please don't say baller ever again." He laughed. "Did you even apply to Hearst?"

"I didn't originally, but she made me." She said pointing to her belly. Her dreams of Stanford had to be put away because of her pregnancy, however her goal of getting a college degree was not being put off.

Veronica grimaced at the thought of her partner for the college tour. Troy Vandegraff, her ex and also former drug smuggler, was her partner. _Okay, so maybe calling him a drug smuggler is taking it too far…_

"So, I see a lot has happened since I've left." Troy smiled.

"Yeah, it has."

"Veronica, I'm not the same person I was. I've changed, I promise." He pleaded. "I'm not asking for you to forgive me or anything, I just want you to know who I am now."

Veronica took a deep breath. He was being honest with her, she could tell.

"Okay. This is college right? I mean, it's a fresh start for everyone." She replied.

Troy finally broke a smile and relaxed a little bit.

"So you're pregnant?"  
"What, this? No, I'm holding this for a friend."

"I should've expected that answer shouldn't I?"

She nodded and laughed.

"Guess that means no keg stands for you tonight." He added.

"Yeah, I mean you remember what a party girl I was right?"

They both smiled at their sarcastic banter.

After the first part of the tour, the group were invited to a dorm party. Once again, Veronica stuck out like sore thumb. However, some less than intelligent people still offered her beer. The guy standing across from her was one of those people.

"So you're a prospect huh?"

"Yep." She replied hoping her one word answers would help him take the hint.

"That's cool. I'm a sophomore here at Hearst." He continued. "You're pretty hot, what are the odds of us hooking up?"

"I'm pregnant."

"I know. I figured that was a sign you were easy."

"Can I see your beer?" She asked sweetly.

"Cool, you're a partier too." He replied handing her his beer.

Red cup in her hand, she immediately tossed the beer in his face.

"What the hell bitch?!" He went to grab another cup to douse her, but she blocked it with enough force for it spill on him.

He lunged towards Veronica, but before he could even touch her Troy had stepped in.

"Did you really just lunge to hurt a pregnant woman?"

"The bitch spilled beer on me."

Troy grabbed the guy and took him outside.

"I told your dad I'd keep you safe and here you are causing trouble!" Wallace laughed.

"I don't know what you're talking about, nothing happened."

"Right, I see how this is going to be."

She flashed a smile at her best friend.

* * *

The next morning she woke up to a surprising phone call. She rushed over to the sheriff's department hoping that Troy was alright.

"Oh Veronica, look at you!" Inca gasped when she saw her walk in. "How far along are you?"

"I'm 22 weeks."

"Congratulations. Do you know what you're having?"

"It's a girl."

Inga smiled and was about to continue their conversation before Lamb interrupted.

"What are you doing here Mars?"

"I'm here to see Troy Vandegraff."

"You're not seeing him, go home."

"He's my friend, he called me."

"He's also been accused of rape, so go home."

"No. I'm going to see my friend."

"Dammit Mars, you're pregnant! You shouldn't even be thinking about cases right now!"

"I just want to hear what he has to say. I'm not going to work a case. Besides why do you care?"

"I don't. I just don't want to be on the receiving end of your daddy's shotgun once he finds out that his daughter is visiting rapist in jail."

"He's not going to find out."

Lamb rolled his eyes and reluctantly let her through to the holding cells. She saw Troy laying on the bunk and looking at the concrete ceiling.

"Vandegraff, you've got a visitor. Sacks, keep an eye on Mars would you?"

"You shouldn't be here Veronica." Troy sighed.

"You're the one who called me."

"It was a bad idea."

"Well I'm here now, tell me what happened."

He sighed before telling her his side of the story. She knew that getting into. A case was a bad idea, and she had promised her dad that she would stay out of cases, but she needed to help Stacey find who ever did this to her whether it was Troy or not.

Her day was spent talking to countless people who said they witnessed what had happened. Each of them said the same thing, Troy had left with Stacey.

The next thing she did was visit Stacey herself. That was when they found the box of her shaved hair outside of her door. Not only was Stacey raped, but now she'd been delivered a box of her own hair. Veronica knew she needed help with this case, but she also knew she couldn't ask Wallace. Even though he was her right hand man, she knew how he felt about her working on cases. This would be a case she'd work all on her own.

* * *

In efforts to solve this on her own, she went back to the sheriff's station to talk to Troy some more.

"Back again Mars?" Sacks asked when he saw her walk in.

"Wow, you fall pregnant once, and the whole world watches your every move." She quipped.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see Troy Vandegraff."

"I don't think Sheriff Lamb will be too happy if you do that."

"What the deputy doesn't know won't hurt him. Come on Sacks, you were always the cool one!"

He sighed and led her back to the holding cells.

After talking with a reluctant Troy, she noticed that some of the stories didn't match up. She could now honestly believe that Troy was innocent.

Lamb sat in his office. Did Veronica Mars really think she could get away with visiting that rapist kid with out him knowing? He'd be damned if he let a pregnant woman get hurt on his watch. He may not be a fan of Veronica Mars, but now that she was knocked he knew that he needed her to be safe.

He walked out of his office just in time to see a blonde walking out.

"Hold it there Mars."

She slowly turned around. He had to admit, every time she turned around seeing that belly of hers surprised him.

"Deputy, fancy seeing you here." She replied in her usual quick witted way.

"What are you doing here again?"

"Just visiting Inga."

"Very funny. I told you that I didn't want you messing with this Vandegraff case."

"Vandegraff case? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I'm serious Mars, you shouldn't be messing around with this case!"

"The hell I should! Troy is innocent."

"Just because you think your boyfriend is innocent doesn't mean the evidence says so."

"What evidence?! Bogus witness statements and the fact that he 'seems' like the right suspect?"

"I'm not getting into this with you. Go home now."

She rolled her eyes and left the station in a huff.

* * *

In the end, she had cleared Troy's name. Much to Lamb's dismay, Troy walked out of the Balboa county holding cell a free and innocent man. She now sat in her room looking over the Hearst brochures she'd received over the weekend. She knew Hearst was not her top choice when it came to college picks; but it was close to home for now, which meant she could still work and go to school. Hearst also had a decent day care center which meant she could still take a full course load without having to find a sitter.

"So how did you enjoy Hearst?" Keith asked as he entered her room.

"It was alright. It'll do for now, but it's no Stanford."

"Stanford will come in time honey."

"I know."

That's about it for this week. I'm glad I added some sort of case and Lamb and Veronica interaction. I didn't go full out into the case because I haven't rewatched 'The Rapes of Graff' in a little while, so I'm a little rusty with all that happened. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Next one should be up the following Sunday!


	7. Chapter 7

Hey everyone, I'm sorry that this chapter is so late! I've been working a lot of overtime these past few weeks and have been completely wiped out once I get home. In other news, baby is still doing well, the hubs and I have decided we don't want to find out the sex until he or she is born which gives me the chance to live vicariously through the pregnancy in this story. I hope you all enjoy this chapter despite its lateness!

**Duncan's Gift**

**Chapter 7:**

Veronica sat on her bedroom floor. At a further glance, you'd think she was organizing baby items, but once you actually sat down you could see the files semi-buried beneath receiving blankets and bibs. What she was doing went completely against what her and her father agreed on, but the tiny voice inside of her that pushed for the truth was getting louder and would not be silenced until this was solved.

She placed more blankets and clothes on top of the files once she heard a knock at her door.

"Come in." She called back.

Keith walked in to find his daughter on the floor.

"What's going on here? It looks like Babies R Us threw up on your floor." He laughed.

"I'm just organizing. Jill keeps giving me her sons old things and I need to find room for them."

"How much stuff is actually usable?"

"90% of it. She gave me a bunch of sleepers and onesies that look pretty new."

"Well that's good. So I'm just about to head out. Are you sure you're going to be alright on your own?"

"Of course, I mean I'm only going to invite a few friends and have a couple of drinks…" She quipped. "No, that doesn't sound right, I'm most likely going to work and find room for all of this stuff."

"You call me if you need anything or if anything happens."

"I know Dad." She stood up and gave him a hug. "Be safe catching those bad guys."

"I will. Bye honey."

As soon as he left, she gave one last glance at the piles of blankets, clothes, and files before pulling herself away to get ready for work.

* * *

Jill was having a ball planning her baby shower, every time they worked a shift together she would show her ideas for decorating, food, and games. She was very grateful to have Jill there to help her with any questions she had and even to help her with planning her baby shower. She supposed it was because Jill had gone through close to what she was going through; outcast in high school only later to fall pregnant, and the father of that baby long gone.

Like clockwork, as soon as she arrived to work she was bombarded by Jill with her book.

"Veronica, I've started the invitations for the shower. Come take a look at them. I've also finished the guest list."

She less than enthusiastically walked to the counter and stood next to her.

"Wow, these are really nice!" She said in surprise.

"Thanks. So here's my final list for the baby shower, how does it look?"

"It looks great. Thanks for doing this, I probably wouldn't have been able to pull this off on my own."

"What are friends for."

Veronica smiled to herself. She definitely didn't have many female friends, as over enthusiastic as Jill was, having her as a friend was actually nice.

"Are you busy tonight after work?" She asked.

"I have to pick up Kayden from my parents house…"

"My dad's out for a case. I figured we could hang out and watch a movie. Plus I'm overwhelmed with organizing the baby stuff."

"If you don't mind having a crazy toddler at your place I'm pretty game."

"I probably need practice with kids…"

After work, Jill and Kayden stopped by as planned. The plan was to watch a movie and order dinner, however once Jill saw the state of Veronica's room they both got distracted.

"I definitely don't miss sharing a room with Kayden." She sighed.

"Believe it or not, this is a lot more organized than last week."

"Well at least you're making progress."

"I just hope that the baby shower doesn't overcrowd my room."

"Well if anyone is generous enough to get the swing or travel set it might be a bit crowded."

"I guess I could deal with those, I mean the strollers do fold down." She replied.

* * *

Monday:

Veronica sat in her math class trying not to fall asleep. To say that she was exhausted was an understatement. Since her dad was gone, her last two nights were filled with bathroom trips, baby kicks, and a bus crash. She debated internally whether she skip her next class and take a nap in the nurse office or suck it up and sleep later. Interrupting her inner monologue were a series of rolls and kicks from her daughter. Her baby's movement was always a welcomed interruption especially right now in her life. The bus crash was haunting her and making it hard to focus on anything else but her dead classmates.

The bell rang lifting her out of her thoughts and her seat. She stopped by her locker to grab her Government books still contemplating the very possible nap in the nurses office.

"Would you rather be spelunking?" She heard a voice ask.

She looked up to see Logan standing by her locker.

"No, actually this my 'I'd rather be sleeping' face. Man, you've really lost your touch."

"How are you doing with...you know…"

"You can say the word baby aloud." She replied.

"How are you and the baby doing?"

"We're good. She's really active at night, so I lose out on some sleep, but overall everything is good."

"That's good. I was serious about helping you out you know."

"I know, but as of right now I'm alright."

"I'm taking this Uncle Logan thing seriously."

"Uncle Logan? When were you going to spring that one on me?"

"Hey, Duncan was my brother in all but blood. He wouldn't want me leaving you alone in this."

"I appreciate it Logan. My baby girl is going to grow up surrounded by a lot of testosterone."

"That and crime solving."

She gave a laugh at that statement. Hell, it was as close to the truth as ever; she grew up with her father as Sheriff and look how she turned out.

"I have to get to class." She finally said.

She made her way through the corridor still noticing the whispers aimed towards her belly. While most people were shocked about her pregnancy, she did receive rare encounters with excited people. She also encountered the unexpected and uncomfortable hands on her belly. She liked to joke that she was the human petting zoo; no matter where she was, there was at least one or two hands placed on her belly without her permission.

"Hey Veronica!" Gia called excitedly once she entered the Government classroom, pointing to the seat right next to her.

"Hey Gia."

"Wow, you've gotten bigger." She exclaimed.

_'Because that's just what every pregnant woman wants to hear'_

"Yep, at least I have someone to blame it on."

"Does it...she...move at all?"

"All of the time."

"Can I feel?"

"At least you actually ask to touch my belly." She quipped. "Here, give me your hand."

She took Gia's extended hand and placed it on the side of her belly where most of the kicks were happening.

"That's so freaky!" She gasped. "She does that all the time?!"

Veronica nodded.

"Yeah, kids are definitely a no for me."

"Yeah, I thought the same thing too..."

Kids weren't originally on her agenda. All she wanted to do is get away from Neptune and start a career as far away as possible. However, her plans had always changed quickly due to circumstance. Despite kids not being part of her plan, she was happy that she was having a daughter and she embraced that part of her life with full force.

* * *

By the time Veronica arrived home, she was well and truly exhausted. She made straight for her room and went to take a nap. She knew that lack of sleep was something that she'd have to get used to, but was it too much to ask for a little sleep before a screaming and crying baby entered her life?

She had managed a good half hour of sleep before she started feeling uncomfortable. With all the pillows on her bed, you'd expect that she had some semblance of comfort, but that wasn't the case. In the end she gave up and went into the living room.

She sat in the living room looking through baby names on her laptop. She was 25 weeks and over half way through her pregnancy, she knew she'd need a name instead of baby girl for her daughter. She knew that she at least wanted to at least have Lily as her daughters middle name, as for her first name she was stumped. Thankfully, she had the internet and it was filled with different options.

She heard the door open and saw her dad walk in.

"You're home!"

"Hey honey, what're you up too?" Keith asked as he walked in.

"Looking for baby names. I mean now that we know she's a girl, Keith Wallace Mars really isn't an option." She replied. "How did the hunt go?"

"The bad guys is behind bars once more."He smiled. "Baby names, I was never good at that part."

"That's why I have the internet. So far I'm liking the names Hope, Emilia, Francesca, and Natalie."

"Those are some good names. Personally, I like Francesca, but that may be the Italian side of me."

"Francesca is actually a big contender. I'm actually trying to find something that matches well with Lily as her middle name. I have a few options written down for now, but I really need to pick out a name before I go into labor."

"You've got time honey. So what did you get up to while I was away?"

"Bar hopping, I got a few tattoos...you know the same old weekend activities."

"That's my girl." He laughed planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Oh, before I forget..." She started to say as she walked into her room.

After a few counts she returned with an envelope.

"You're cordially invited..." She said handing him the envelope.

Keith opened up the envelope and gave the contents a read.

"Oh honey, I'd be happy to go to your baby shower."

"Good because if you didn't I'd be very upset."

"I wouldn't miss it. These cards look pretty fancy, last time I checked you had trouble drawing a straight line."

"Jill made them, she also planned the entire thing."

"So who else is coming to this thing?"

"A few of my coworkers, Mac, Wallace, Alicia, Logan, and Gia."

"Gia Goodman? You're friends with Gia Goodman?"

"Acquaintances. She saw one of the baby shower invites and got really excited. I couldn't tell her she wasn't invited, that'd be like kicking a puppy."

"Oh honey, those hormones have you going soft."

"Don't remind me."

"Well at least that means you'll be getting a pretty sweet gift from the Goodman family."

"That's one plus."

They ended their night with dinner. Afterwards, Veronica returned to her room to work on the bus crash. She was still exhausted, but she still had a small little bit of energy to push her to stay up until 12am looking into all of the possible theories.

That's all for you guys! Once again I do sincerely apologize for the lack of updates. For some reason, this chapter was hard to get through. Not only did I have a busy schedule, but writers block was biting me in the ass. Next chapter will include prom and epic stuff and yes, this one will be up by Sunday. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.


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